Artwork for podcast Business Superfans Podcast
Superfans: From Basement Parties to Business Success with Rick Benton
Episode 28 • 18th May 2024 • Business Superfans Podcast • Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)
00:00:00 00:31:29

Share Episode

Shownotes

Episode 28  Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

Superfans: From Basement Parties to Business Success with Rick Benton

In this podcast episode for the Business Superfans Podcast, Freddy D chats with Rick Benton as he recounts his evolution from a high school entrepreneur who co-founded a DJ company to a multi-state event service provider, and eventually to a business consultant and coach. He and the host, both Michigan natives now in Arizona, reminisce about their early party-throwing days. Rick discusses how his company cultivated superfans through targeted live events, leading to its expansion into corporate sectors. He then delves into his current work with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), stressing the importance of core values, effective team building, and strong internal culture. The episode explores the creation of superfans, the influence of corporate heroes like Apple, and the significance of aligning personal passions with professional goals, concluding with thoughts on leadership and business transformation.

Discover more with our detailed show notes and exclusive content by visiting: https://bit.ly/44KEplf

Kindly Consider Supporting Our Show: Support Business Superfans Podcast



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Transcripts

Freddy D:

Rick Benton's entrepreneur journey.

2

:

Started in high school when he and a

friend started a DJ company dedicated

3

:

to a vision of creating the most

exciting and energetic experiences.

4

:

The business quickly found

successes that extended far

5

:

beyond the local Detroit market.

6

:

Fast forward a few decades and this

multi-state, award-winning company

7

:

provided event planning, entertainment,

AV production services for national

8

:

corporate social and educational clients.

9

:

After successful sale and

exit of the business in:

10

:

Rick has become a teacher, a

coach, and a business consultant.

11

:

His super power is his energy and

passion for learning and growth.

12

:

Always challenging the existing

status quo to find better solutions.

13

:

He personally understands and experienced

the power of E O S and how it offers

14

:

freedom for entrepreneurs to break

through their ceiling, clarifying

15

:

and achieving their vision while

improving their lives of leadership

16

:

teams, employees, and our families.

17

:

Rick is excited to share the EO S power

with you to achieve your vision, gain

18

:

traction, and build healthy, cohesive,

and fun loving leadership team.

19

:

Welcome Rick to the

business superfans podcast.

20

:

How are you this morning?

21

:

Rick Benton: I'm doing fantastic.

22

:

How are you?

23

:

Freddy D: I'm fired up, excited to have

you on as a guest, and I think we've

24

:

got some great things to chat about.

25

:

Tell me, how did you get started and

what led you to where you are today?

26

:

Rick Benton: Oh, wow!, My entrepreneurial

journey started when I was in high school

27

:

and a friend and I started a DJ company.

28

:

Really?

29

:

We were committed to this vision of

creating concert like experiences

30

:

at tiny little, house parties or

homecomings or proms or birthday

31

:

parties, whatever it might be.

32

:

It's the late eighties, amazing bands.

33

:

I would see concerts and I've just been

like, wow, that was the best experience.

34

:

Freddy D: I

35

:

Rick Benton: wanted to

create those experiences.

36

:

for the small events that we went to.

37

:

So we went out with Radio Shack strobes,

and I had a fog machine, and little

38

:

police lights, and we eventually

built it up, and next thing a couple

39

:

of decades later, we're a multi state

audio visual production company with in

40

:

house entertainment, working corporate

event conferences and galas and

41

:

fundraisers and expos, social events.

42

:

We had weddings, bar mitzvahs and sweet

16s and all kinds of, you name the

43

:

parties, as well as a really nice high

school division where we were really cool.

44

:

We weren't just creating

homecomings and proms.

45

:

We were creating concerts and festivals.

46

:

Wow.

47

:

For these schools and I loved it.

48

:

You can you can imagine though,

you build a business that size,

49

:

the levers that I'm pulling.

50

:

We had, just people wise, we had

entertainers and we had admin and

51

:

we had labor, across the gambit.

52

:

Just on the entertainer side, where

I actually flew to other cities, just

53

:

to get entertainers on the plane and

bring them to where they needed to be.

54

:

We had logistics, the trucks, the

equipment, the quality control, the

55

:

breaking of stuff, the investments,

the depreciation, the marketing

56

:

budgets, the salaries, the rent.

57

:

It was driving me crazy, but I loved it.

58

:

Then in 2018, somebody decided

that they loved it more.

59

:

I took the exit.

60

:

This is how I got started

and where I ended up now.

61

:

Since then, I've had some mild successes.

62

:

I've had some utter train wrecks and

you learn a lot more from the train

63

:

wrecks than you do from the successes.

64

:

Oh, absolutely.

65

:

That much I'll tell ya.

66

:

Freddy D: The police lights, I remember,

I still have police lights in my garage.

67

:

Yeah.

68

:

Because in the 80s, I had in my basement,

I set up in a townhouse I had in Chicago

69

:

was a entertainment area, so I would throw

parties and I would have the police lights

70

:

and a DJ and all that stuff back then.

71

:

We're both from Michigan, which is

even more ironic and here we are in

72

:

Arizona, it just interesting how life

takes us through these directions.

73

:

Rick Benton: From basement

parties in Michigan, and God

74

:

knows we did a ton of them.

75

:

Now I'm thinking back, the basement

parties in high school, college

76

:

fraternity parties in the basement at

U of M, or MSU, and, oh geez, then we

77

:

got an opportunity to come out here.

78

:

You look around in January and

you realize you're never going

79

:

to slip and you're never going to

slip and fall in the heat, right?

80

:

You're you never have to scrape the

you're never going to scrape the

81

:

sunshine off of your windshield.

82

:

Freddy D: I don't miss that one bit.

83

:

Not at

84

:

Rick Benton: all.

85

:

You

86

:

Freddy D: bring back memories because

I used to throw what was we dubbed

87

:

ever ready fast Freddy parties.

88

:

Oh, wow.

89

:

The record was I think I had about 75

people in a townhouse and it went from

90

:

three o'clock in the afternoon till

about four o'clock in the morning.

91

:

Oh, wow.

92

:

Yeah, it was it was those

93

:

Rick Benton: were fun times.

94

:

Freddy D: Those were fun

95

:

Rick Benton: times.

96

:

I'm going to put it out there to any

audience members that can send us

97

:

a picture of a fast Freddy party.

98

:

Of course, that's going to open it up

to that they're going to send in some

99

:

old living energy photos of me back in

the day and my emceeing a bar mitzvah.

100

:

Oh gosh.

101

:

Teaching kids how to do an electric slide,

a cha slide, and, oh boy, that's crazy.

102

:

Freddy D: That was fun.

103

:

So I'm sure you built some

superfans from all those events.

104

:

Rick Benton: We did.

105

:

We did.

106

:

One of the things that we

did for that to create fans.

107

:

We actually realized that our business

isn't something that you can advertise

108

:

traditional and at the time print or

it wasn't definitely not the size that

109

:

we could advertise on TV, but what

we did is we actually created events.

110

:

That people can come see us

live, not just at a trade show.

111

:

Oh, we're going to walk by a

booth and meet you guys, but we

112

:

were actually created events.

113

:

So take an example, the bar mitzvah

market, what we did is we created an event

114

:

for fifth, sixth and seventh graders.

115

:

And just for background for audience

members who aren't that familiar with

116

:

it, a bar mitzvah is a really nice party.

117

:

That's thrown for a 13 year

old in the Jewish community.

118

:

It was the coming of age, no different

than a Kim Saniera or communion.

119

:

It's a coming of age.

120

:

Some of them are really nice and they

would have a DJ and lights and dancers

121

:

and they'd invite the entire family

people would come in from out of town

122

:

could be 100, 200 people or more themed

decor, all kinds of video screens and

123

:

the entertainments off the charts.

124

:

You have an entertainment team.

125

:

that bridges the gaps between

grandparents and parents and kids.

126

:

So parents are out there doing the

latest dances and kids are learning

127

:

swing dances and stuff from the now

the seventies, but at the time it was

128

:

more swing and fifties and sixties.

129

:

And sure.

130

:

And these parties became.

131

:

Became a regular thing and if you broke

into that market, it was repetitive.

132

:

So we would throw these

events at various venues.

133

:

We would get the venues donated

because we were showcasing the venue.

134

:

We'd invite every 5th, grader targeted

in the Jewish community, but open to all.

135

:

And we would throw an hour

and a half, two hour party.

136

:

Then we evolved it and we had a parents

lounge so the parents can go by and then

137

:

everybody that contributed the decor

company and the catering company and every

138

:

other vendor would we set up a booth, talk

to the parents can do a little catering

139

:

for the parents do whatever you can we'd

have photo photography and photo booths.

140

:

It was quite a production.

141

:

The kids would come in now they're

fifth grade, they're sixth grade.

142

:

They're getting ready for this event

that happens at 13 in seventh grade.

143

:

And by the time that's actually there,

they're there to make a decision.

144

:

Who do we want to have entertained?

145

:

They've already known us.

146

:

They knew us.

147

:

They liked us.

148

:

They felt confident with us.

149

:

They trusted us that we could

do take care of the party.

150

:

And that's the way we promoted it.

151

:

We created super fans.

152

:

We've later expanded that

to the high school market.

153

:

Doing that just for student government

kids, just for the ones that made

154

:

decisions for who's going to, who they're

going to hire for prom or homecoming.

155

:

We later expanded that for corporate

events, we actually produced trade shows

156

:

and expos for various different markets.

157

:

We were in that would allow us to create

real superfans that, Hey, wait a minute.

158

:

They're not a DJ company.

159

:

They're full service planning.

160

:

They're marketing.

161

:

They are experiential.

162

:

Next thing we were.

163

:

We had quite a machine on our hands.

164

:

It was a lot of fun.

165

:

Freddy D: Now you've got the

superfans actually promoting you.

166

:

They're your brand advocates, but

I call them business superfans.

167

:

So now you've got an army of people that

you've done events for that are telling

168

:

all their friends and those friends are

telling their friends and it starts to

169

:

snowball and the word gets around that

you're to go to organization for these

170

:

type of events, whether it's a bar

mitzvah, whether it's a corporate event,

171

:

whether it's a trade show that a company's

taking place in, you guys did it all

172

:

and your marketing was really, from what

you were saying is really just word of

173

:

mouth marketing, which is all superfans.

174

:

Rick Benton: It was creating

experiences, we created experiences.

175

:

A lot of people in that industry,

they look at it with the advent

176

:

that our existing customers

are going to be our superfans.

177

:

So we looked at it from the standpoint

that anybody that experiences us, whether

178

:

they could afford us or not, whether

they used us or not, we actually looked

179

:

at it and said, some of the people that

couldn't afford us that couldn't use us,

180

:

or they were committed to doing it, or

maybe they weren't even going to, they

181

:

didn't even have a party or they weren't

having an event, but they wanted to.

182

:

We were looking at from the standpoint

that we wanted even the people that

183

:

weren't our clients to be fans.

184

:

God, I wish we could

have an event with them.

185

:

Freddy D: Because then they're gonna

figure a way to make it happen.

186

:

That's really what happens is, you

want something bad enough, you're

187

:

gonna find a way to, to pull it off.

188

:

Rick Benton: If you want something

bad enough in this world, you

189

:

will find a way to create it.

190

:

Absolutely.

191

:

So how did that

192

:

Freddy D: segway into, what you're doing

nowadays, tell us a little bit about that.

193

:

Rick Benton: As I mentioned, I sold the

business in:

194

:

some train wrecks, and I was working

with a company that was implementing this

195

:

system on how they operate their business.

196

:

And it was called EOS, the

Entrepreneurial Operating System.

197

:

And it's designed.

198

:

For companies that are 10 to 250 people

that are entrepreneurial in nature

199

:

where they need a better way to operate.

200

:

Most of the time, most

entrepreneurs are awesome at a

201

:

skill, at a service, at a product.

202

:

We aren't necessarily the best

business people because we're

203

:

so damn good at what we do.

204

:

We love what we do.

205

:

That doesn't mean we know

how to run a business.

206

:

I was given this book and it

sat on my shelf right here.

207

:

Traction sat on my shelf from 2014.

208

:

Never read it because when you're

running a business, you barely have

209

:

time to read, let alone, you get into

entrepreneurship because you think you're

210

:

going to have freedom of time, you're

going to make a ton of money and you're

211

:

going to have freedom to choose the

people you want to work with and you're

212

:

going to have freedom to have a purpose.

213

:

I'm going to create this value and next

thing you're working 80 hours a week and

214

:

you're like, where's my time, where's

my money and what's my purpose again.

215

:

Freddy D: You got a glorified job.

216

:

If you're working in the

business, it's a glorified job.

217

:

You've got to be working on the

business to actually see those rewards.

218

:

Rick Benton: Absolutely.

219

:

So one of the things that I was

working with this company that was

220

:

implementing this system that's

really described in that book.

221

:

I looked at it and I said, Oh my

gosh, I got to learn more about it.

222

:

I raced back.

223

:

I opened the book.

224

:

I read through it.

225

:

I'm like, Oh my gosh, where was

this sitting on the shelf for years?

226

:

When I was running my business,

this is exactly what I needed.

227

:

I could have avoided so much stress,

so much heartache, so much broken

228

:

glass that I admittedly created.

229

:

It's not me.

230

:

I admittedly created from my inexperience,

from the things that I didn't know.

231

:

It was at that moment I was like, I

got to go all in, burned all my boats.

232

:

Went all in and now I help businesses

avoid that same stress, avoid that

233

:

broken glass, avoid that heartache.

234

:

And I helped them build a system

where they're not working 80 hours

235

:

a week, where they are not, unless

they want to, that's up to them,

236

:

but I strongly don't encourage it.

237

:

I helped them organize the way they

structure and run their business

238

:

so that they get strong in six

key components of their business.

239

:

What

240

:

Freddy D: are those six

241

:

Rick Benton: keys?

242

:

At the top is vision.

243

:

You gotta have a great vision and you

have to know how you're gonna get there.

244

:

If you don't have a good vision,

you're gonna end up somewhere else.

245

:

If you don't know where you're

going to end up somewhere else.

246

:

Second key component is people.

247

:

This mistake I made is that you have to

have the right people for your business.

248

:

It can't just be the

right person for the job.

249

:

It has to be for your business because

many times we see this in sports.

250

:

How many times does our favorite

team, we're going to go out there.

251

:

We're going to poach the

free agent superstar.

252

:

They come over to our

team and they're okay.

253

:

And we paid hundreds of millions

of dollars from, or we recruit a

254

:

rookie who's not doing that well.

255

:

And then he goes to a different

system and suddenly he's an MVP.

256

:

Freddy D: It's all culture

that goes back to culture.

257

:

Culture

258

:

Rick Benton: have to be absolutely.

259

:

That's exactly what are your core values,

260

:

Freddy D: right?

261

:

Rick Benton: Define those core

values and I'll tell you a story

262

:

about core values in a minute.

263

:

So third thing is your data.

264

:

You have to be really strong with

your data and that means getting

265

:

your emotions out of your data.

266

:

We all look at things subjectively.

267

:

We want to get that emotion.

268

:

We want to get that out.

269

:

Don't just run your

business by the numbers.

270

:

The fourth key component is your issues.

271

:

When your vision is clear,

you know where you're going.

272

:

You have the right people for your

company and you know your numbers.

273

:

Without the clouds of ego and

emotions, your business is going

274

:

to be transparent and your issues

are going to rise to the surface.

275

:

Every business has issues.

276

:

Freddy D: Yep,

277

:

Rick Benton: Unavoidable.

278

:

So being strong with your issues means

knowing how you're going to solve them

279

:

at the root cause not solve the symptoms,

but solve them at the root cause and

280

:

make those issues go away forever.

281

:

Fifth key component is your process.

282

:

Every business has a right

way of doing things for them.

283

:

You gotta make sure that everybody on your

team is doing things the way you need to.

284

:

How many times I've worked on sales teams

where it's like, Hey, Joe's doing it

285

:

this way, selling customers this way, and

Jason's selling it this way, and I got my

286

:

own style for selling, and you know what?

287

:

Here's the system that

we're gonna use for selling.

288

:

We're all telling the same story.

289

:

Freddy D: No, it's important.

290

:

It's important.

291

:

A good example that I'm going to put

in there is think of a rowing team,

292

:

you got four people on the boat and

they're all got oars and it's all manual.

293

:

If you're not in sync, you ain't going

no place too fast, you're going nowhere.

294

:

You got to all be rowing in the

295

:

Rick Benton: same direction.

296

:

Freddy D: Got to be rowing in the

same direction at the same time, same

297

:

tempo, everything else and that's

when you've got a team that's rowing.

298

:

And I'm using it as a solid example

because that takes a lot of work

299

:

to be in sync and to win a rowing

championship in one of those rowboats.

300

:

Rick Benton: That leads us

to our last key component.

301

:

Beautifully segued in to traction, which

means that everyday, every quarter, you

302

:

are making progress towards your vision.

303

:

You're all rowing in the same

direction at the same cadence to that

304

:

same point, which is that vision.

305

:

It's crystal clear.

306

:

So the entire team is strong in

these six key components, and what

307

:

was discovered is that entrepreneurs

have so many things just swirling

308

:

around in their head at the same time.

309

:

When you get strong in this,

these six components, everything

310

:

just falls into place.

311

:

If you think about it, our time during

owning a business, all the things that

312

:

were swirling around, they will fit

into one of those six key components.

313

:

Freddy D: Oh, always, absolutely, correct.

314

:

Rick Benton: I mentioned the core values

in your culture, and I want to share a

315

:

story that just happened just last week.

316

:

And I was working with a team and they

had their core values and they list them

317

:

off so many other companies, they listed

off the typical things that we put up.

318

:

You could probably guess them, honesty,

integrity, cold customer service,

319

:

The usual

320

:

Freddy D: points.

321

:

Yep.

322

:

Rick Benton: Paint them on a wall.

323

:

You can't really hire to them.

324

:

They're too vague.

325

:

They're too general and let's face it.

326

:

Enron.

327

:

Remember Enron?

328

:

Freddy D: Yep.

329

:

Rick Benton: Worldcom.

330

:

Remember Worldcom?

331

:

Integrity was one of their core values.

332

:

Freddy D: Fail.

333

:

Rick Benton: We went through an

exercise and I am so proud of this team

334

:

because we went through, we spent a

little extra time on it, but wow, the

335

:

results were absolutely amazing and

I'm just going to pull these over here.

336

:

They came from generic.

337

:

One word, typical core values

and they literally came, I took a

338

:

picture of it and it is beautiful.

339

:

I can't wait to hear

their core values speech.

340

:

They came up with four core values.

341

:

We are number one, passionate,

goal driven problem solvers.

342

:

Freddy D: I like that.

343

:

Rick Benton: Number two, we are

trusting and accountable to all

344

:

Like that as well.

345

:

Number three, we are

professional team players.

346

:

Excellent.

347

:

Number four, we are committed to growth.

348

:

Freddy D: Yeah, that has

impact when you say it.

349

:

You can feel it and, the last

part is the important part is you

350

:

know, they're committed to growth.

351

:

You gotta do one, you gotta have one,

two, and three for four to happen.

352

:

That's really cool.

353

:

Rick Benton: There's two

things that came out of that.

354

:

One you read through that

and you just get chills.

355

:

It's wait a minute, I see it.

356

:

We can hire to those core values.

357

:

We can fire to those core values.

358

:

We can reward and we can praise

and we can choose our vendors and

359

:

our partners to those core values.

360

:

It's an identity of who we are.

361

:

Yeah.

362

:

As opposed to just the single words.

363

:

Freddy D: Because what you're

doing there is you're creating

364

:

superfans from the team.

365

:

Now that team has a synergy internally,

the employees, I call 'em team.

366

:

Of course.

367

:

So now that team, they're on the same

page, they love where they're working

368

:

because the culture's excellent.

369

:

So when they're talking to

prospective customers and existing

370

:

customer, that tonality, that energy

comes across and that attracts.

371

:

If you've got the right energy, you've

got the right tonality, everything

372

:

else, you're going to attract.

373

:

So perspective customers going to

go, wow this company, these guys are

374

:

energized, versus, the regular yeah.

375

:

I'm just going to help you and then

that trends into, complimentary

376

:

businesses that work together

with that particular organization.

377

:

So that compounds what you just laid out

there from a foundation is it transcends

378

:

across all of the whole business.

379

:

Rick Benton: Think about it.

380

:

If I were to say, Freddie,

I want you to come join us.

381

:

We have a spot on the team, but I

want you to just know, these are, I

382

:

want you to just understand our core

values and we have integrity, we have

383

:

honesty, we treat the customers, right?

384

:

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

385

:

Versus what I just read there.

386

:

Hey, Freddie, I want you to

join our team, but I want you

387

:

to know that when we hire you.

388

:

This is who we are.

389

:

And we are passionate goal

driven problem solvers.

390

:

That means we care deeply about our

goals and reaching them and solving

391

:

the challenges that are in front of us.

392

:

We're not just there to

admire them or to come.

393

:

We want to, we want you to know that we

are going to get to the root cause of

394

:

every challenge and every problem in front

of us, we are trustworthy and accountable

395

:

to all that means you can rely on us.

396

:

We're going to do what

we say we're going to do.

397

:

It's to everybody.

398

:

It doesn't matter if it's a customer,

if it's an employee, if it's a teammate,

399

:

if it's a vendor that we work with, or

just somebody in the community, we are

400

:

trustworthy and accountable to all.

401

:

We are professional team players.

402

:

We are not going to we're

going to dress appropriately.

403

:

We're going to treat people with respect.

404

:

We're going to we're

going to work together.

405

:

We don't want you siloed.

406

:

We are not, we're never going to

leave you off the island by yourself

407

:

and we're committed to growth.

408

:

It means we know we're not perfect yet.

409

:

We know we can get better and we're

going to committed to always improving.

410

:

I'm just making that up, reading these.

411

:

Freddy D: Yeah, Rick, you're right on

the money there because someone is a

412

:

prospective customer feels the energy

that transcends from the way the team

413

:

members are communicating, that's

going to help collapse the sales cycle.

414

:

People like to do business with

people that they like and trust.

415

:

Rick Benton: Absolutely.

416

:

Freddy D: With that mission, that's

attractive and attraction attracts more.

417

:

Rick Benton: It's uplifting.

418

:

Correct.

419

:

We want to associate with

that and it's not just sales.

420

:

It's you know, if you think about it in

the HR department when they're looking

421

:

for hiring, I mean hiring every new

hire That's a sale for the HR team.

422

:

If you want to look at it that way,

there's a sales product that is,

423

:

we're going to attract the right

people to our team and we're going

424

:

to repel the wrong people from our

team based on those core values.

425

:

I am so proud of that team.

426

:

Obviously I'm sharing that.

427

:

I'm beaming because that's

the stuff I get to do now.

428

:

That's the stuff I get to

help companies figure out.

429

:

That's

430

:

Freddy D: really cool,

because companies need that.

431

:

Over the years, I've seen a lot

of different things, a lot of good

432

:

managers, a lot of bad managers, a

lot of good teams, a lot of bad teams.

433

:

The teams that I remembered

that I was part of, and I'm

434

:

talking about, my experience.

435

:

I remember back in the 80s when I was in

the computer industry we were prepping

436

:

for a demo and, the demo was the next day.

437

:

We were working late at night and

getting ready cause the demo was in

438

:

the morning and we were about midnight.

439

:

Our manager walks in

and we're going, what?

440

:

He comes in, he's got, two boxes of pizza.

441

:

He's got a 12 pack of beer and

he sits down with us and we have

442

:

some beers and some, some pizza.

443

:

He hangs out for an hour, then as he

leaves goes, All right, guys, don't

444

:

stay up too late, but, appreciate it.

445

:

We had such a great culture because

we wanted to work and we worked

446

:

till five o'clock in the morning

getting ready, some of us slept at

447

:

the office and just, did a bathroom

fresh up because game time was 9 a.

448

:

m.

449

:

When we got done with the demo,

we killed it, and he came back

450

:

and said, hey guys, it's Thursday

afternoon, get the heck out of here.

451

:

I'll see you guys on Monday.

452

:

I'm still friends with a couple of guys

from that crew that we had, and I call

453

:

them a crew because we were a crew.

454

:

Rick Benton: One of the, one of the

best lines that I've ever read, where it

455

:

came from, what you described there is a

manager who understands your humanity, who

456

:

understands your people, who understands

that you need to be treated with respect.

457

:

You're, are not just a cog in a wheel.

458

:

Hey, food, beer, and pizza.

459

:

They go a long way when people

are working really hard.

460

:

The guy's name was Keith Cunningham.

461

:

The book is the robust stupid and

he said that culture is nothing more

462

:

than the way we treat each other.

463

:

Freddy D: Oh, absolutely correct.

464

:

In my book, one of my quotes is

people will crawl through broken glass

465

:

for appreciation and recognition.

466

:

What that manager did,

his first name was Tom.

467

:

He, appreciated us.

468

:

Recognize us for putting

all the extra effort.

469

:

Anytime Tom ever asked us to do

something, we were no problem.

470

:

Rick Benton: Your quote reminds me of

a napoleon one and he would just marvel

471

:

at the amazing things that soldiers

would do for a tiny piece of ribbon.

472

:

Freddy D: Yeap

473

:

Rick Benton: Know just to get the

badge to get the piece of ribbon, the

474

:

unbelievable things people would do.

475

:

More so than money, recognition,

respect, appreciation

476

:

Freddy D: or gold.

477

:

That's how you create

superfans, right there.

478

:

Absolutely.

479

:

Those three things.

480

:

That's how you create superfans

that will go out and go out of

481

:

their way and become champions of

your business, your organization.

482

:

Look at fandom, where people create

groups, they're a superfans on steroids

483

:

and they create these fan groups they've

got meetups and all these things.

484

:

You look back at Star Trek, for

example, you got all the Trekkies,

485

:

that's an example of superfans.

486

:

Those guys are diehard superfans that have

created groups and meetups and everything

487

:

else to promote Star Trek as an example.

488

:

It's, superfandom.

489

:

If you know how to harness it

and more importantly, how to

490

:

grow it to become that monster.

491

:

Absolutely.

492

:

Rick Benton: I've been an Apple

geek since long before Steve

493

:

Jobs came back to the company.

494

:

Didn't hold on to enough shares from

that I purchased back in those days.

495

:

Yeah, I wish I would have kept my 1985

496

:

Freddy D: Mac.

497

:

Rick Benton: Exactly.

498

:

But there's some great documentation

on the evangelical side of what Apple

499

:

was creating that got them through the

nineties for sure, because they just had

500

:

raving fans who loved the counterculture.

501

:

Apple's always had a super worthy rival.

502

:

Initially it was IBM, then it became

Microsoft, then it became Samsung.

503

:

And now they're such a behemoth that

they're just trying to outdo themselves.

504

:

But it's always recognizable that

they always had that worthy rival.

505

:

They always had that person, that

company that pushed them to be

506

:

better, that they built on each other.

507

:

Microsoft did this, so Apple had to come

up here and that counterculture of people

508

:

that would be like, okay we pick sides.

509

:

Remember that, that Mac versus

PC commercial with Justin Long

510

:

and and I forgot the other guys.

511

:

It was funny.

512

:

It

513

:

Freddy D: was

514

:

Rick Benton: hilarious.

515

:

They were funny, but they were pitting

each other against each other, but

516

:

also both making each other better.

517

:

We all pick sides.

518

:

Everybody had a side.

519

:

I remember just, Hey, I'm a Mac guy.

520

:

I had think that when I taught for a

year, I had think different posters in my

521

:

classroom that I had bought from a app.

522

:

I love that campaign.

523

:

I had Einstein, I had Jim

Henson and Kermit the Frog.

524

:

I had the Jackie Robinson.

525

:

I had the Bob Dylan poster and

the Miles Davis were over on

526

:

the other side, bad commentary.

527

:

My athletic director did not

recognize Jackie Robinson.

528

:

He's who is that?

529

:

I'm like, really?

530

:

But that's another story.

531

:

Apple was always one of my corporate

heroes because of their ability to do

532

:

that to create those fans myself included.

533

:

Freddy D: Yeah myself as well.

534

:

I'm an Apple geek as well.

535

:

I like I said, 86 was my first year

in sales, and I had a Mac, I had a

536

:

portable Mac and I created in Excel

a return on investment spreadsheet.

537

:

I would come in and selling manufacturing

software and I would sit down and

538

:

I'd say, okay, Rick, let's look

at what's your hourly burden rate.

539

:

How long does it take you to design

a job manually or do this kind of

540

:

stuff and emotionally, I involved

you into creating the ROI for the

541

:

software I was trying to sell you.

542

:

But I wasn't trying to sell you.

543

:

You were buying it because you created the

ROI yourself and you turned around, went

544

:

up to upper management and says look, it's

gonna cost us 150 grand, but in 24 months,

545

:

we're going to be a positive 150 grand.

546

:

What was cool was they were amazed I

plopped this Mac and I would actually,

547

:

sometimes I had a modem, that you carried

around and I would dial up their fax

548

:

machine and fax out the quote that you

and I sat together and put together.

549

:

Oh, wow.

550

:

Yeah, it was cool,

and it was a slam dunk.

551

:

the sale was done because

you and I put it together.

552

:

I printed it out on your fax machine,

used your phone line and it was a blast.

553

:

Rick Benton: If you remember

Simon Sinek's, Start With Why,

554

:

and he used Apple as an example.

555

:

That they go with why

they do what they do.

556

:

We help you solve issues.

557

:

We happen to make great computers.

558

:

Want to buy one, as opposed

to, we make great computers.

559

:

They can help you solve your problem.

560

:

It's just that people will

buy why you do something.

561

:

Freddy D: Yep.

562

:

Rick Benton: Not what you do, and in this

sense, I shared with you the core values.

563

:

I help people avoid that

entrepreneurial stress.

564

:

We get them to a point where we say,

you are living the EOS life and the

565

:

EOS life for any entrepreneur, I

think is just it's so attractive the

566

:

way that it's marketed, it's sold,

and it's simply this five things.

567

:

We get entrepreneurs and anybody on that

team to first, we're doing what we love.

568

:

Yep.

569

:

We're doing it with people that we love.

570

:

Yep.

571

:

We're making a difference in the world.

572

:

Yep.

573

:

Everybody's getting

compensated appropriately.

574

:

Yep.

575

:

We have time for other passions.

576

:

When I saw that, I said that

right there, I am a raving fan

577

:

of EOS because that's the goal.

578

:

That's the outcome.

579

:

That's the vision of the life we

want to live that I want to live.

580

:

I want to do what I love working

with people that I love making

581

:

a big difference in the world,

getting compensated appropriately

582

:

with time for other passions.

583

:

How many people, whether entrepreneurs

or they're just in a job, they don't

584

:

have that time for other passions.

585

:

Yeah.

586

:

That's how you create raving fans.

587

:

Freddy D: Yep.

588

:

Rick Benton: Get something

that resonates with somebody

589

:

that hits them at their core.

590

:

Sure,

591

:

Freddy D: so Rick, how can

people get ahold of you?

592

:

Rick Benton: Pretty simply rick.

593

:

benton at EOS worldwide.

594

:

com.

595

:

It's easy email, but cell

phone number works as well.

596

:

248 867 9550 best bet.

597

:

Just reach out LinkedIn,

Facebook, any of them.

598

:

I still have that 248 number.

599

:

You can take the boy out of Detroit, but

can't take the Detroit out of the boy.

600

:

Freddy D: Hey, my woman's still

got a 248 number as well.

601

:

I took her out of Detroit as well,

but still a Detroiter and so am I.

602

:

Rick Benton: Not as often, still

go for a Coney dog every so often,

603

:

can't can't turn those down.

604

:

I could turn them down

more often than not now.

605

:

If it's getting strong in those six

key components is something that you're

606

:

interested in, or just learning about

more about how this model works, by

607

:

all means, give me a call, reach out.

608

:

Freddy D: Do you offer

a free consultation?

609

:

Rick Benton: Yeah.

610

:

We'll give you a full free session.

611

:

A 90 minute session about how this

can work in your business, what your

612

:

business would look like running on

EOS and how I work with companies.

613

:

I don't want, I don't want a company

that's out there for a seminar.

614

:

I want a company that is looking to really

transform the way that they do business,

615

:

the way they work with their employees,

and they're in it for the journey.

616

:

Is a journey,

617

:

We are changing habits of

how you run businesses.

618

:

We are letting, we are allowing

CEOs and visionaries and founders.

619

:

We call it letting go of the vine where

you're hanging on for dear life, but

620

:

you look around, you have a team that

you've hired, they're the right people,

621

:

they're sitting in the right seats

and you can let go of those things.

622

:

Without fear that they're not going

to get done, that they're going to

623

:

get done correctly, and that your team

is going to support you so you can

624

:

actually start to dial down the number

of hours that you're working and you

625

:

can have time for other passions too.

626

:

And you're going to find that your

business is going to soar when you

627

:

let the right people do their job.

628

:

Freddy D: Yep.

629

:

Sir Richard Branson says it the best.

630

:

If you take care of your team,

they'll take care of everything else.

631

:

Yeah,

632

:

That's the bottom line.

633

:

So Rick, it's been a pleasure having

you on the business superfan podcast.

634

:

I thank

635

:

Rick Benton: you Enjoy being here

636

:

Freddy D: and we will definitely

have you on another one to

637

:

continue the conversation, buddy

638

:

Rick Benton: I look forward to it.

639

:

Thank you very much.

640

:

Freddy D: Thank you.

641

:

Rick Benton: Take care.

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube